How to Work Sustainability into Your Budget

As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, it’s becoming more important for organizations to utilize sustainable purchasing strategies. While some eco-friendly alternatives may have a higher cost up front, they could actually cost less than incumbent products over their product life cycle. Some eco-friendly, sustainable traffic paints, for example, provide superior performance and longevity than cheaper traditional products, which saves money on the material and labor expenses associated with repainting.

Below are a few suggestions for those looking to work sustainable paint into a tight maintenance budget.

Choose Higher Quality Paints That Last Longer

Longevity and colorfastness are the most important performance attributes for paints, particularly traffic and zone marking paints used on construction projects for parking lots, roads, and other paved surfaces. The best way to separate a mere sustainable product from a true alternative is to determine how long it provides bright, vivid markings. For major construction projects, it’s important to take a close look at how long the sustainable paint options will last before needing to be reapplied. On restriping projects, about 35 percent of a contractor’s quote goes toward raw material costs associated with the paint, with the remaining 65 percent going towards labor, overhead, and profit. Some quick math demonstrates how costly using cheap, ineffective, unsustainable marking paint can be over the product’s life cycle.

Choose a Drop-In Product

Another benefit of sustainable traffic paint is that it’s often designed to be easier to apply. When planning your next project, be sure to check that the paint you’re buying is compatible with standard water-based line striping equipment. This will make it easier to switch to sustainable traffic paint, while avoiding additional equipment investment.

In addition to being just as easy to apply as traditional paint options, some sustainable traffic paint offers extended shelf life, which means you can use the same supplies, or any additional paint you have leftover, from one project to the next.

Sustainability Goes Beyond Paint

At BioStripe®, we understand that organizations often cannot jeopardize their budgets in furtherance of their sustainability goals. By choosing BioStripe sustainable traffic paint, you’ll be able to enhance your organization’s sustainability profile while minimizing costs over the long haul.

Chris Hren is the Marketing Manager for Aexcel Corporation. After graduating Cum Laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law with a focus on corporate and environmental law, Chris joined Aexcel to work with customers to offer solutions to their coatings manufacturing challenges. In his spare time, he enjoys Cleveland sports, traveling, and spending time with his friends and family.